Optimizing Pediatric Healthcare IT Operations

Strengthening pediatric care IT operations during EHR transition

5 min read

Overview

Application support becomes especially critical during large-scale EHR change. For one of the largest free-standing pediatric health systems in the United States, maintaining day-to-day stability across a broad clinical and business application estate was essential while the organization prepared for a major Cerner-to-Epic transition. The environment extended far beyond the core EHR, encompassing more than 190 applications across clinical, diagnostic, pharmacy, revenue cycle, HIM and corporate systems, each requiring reliable support, operational visibility and disciplined service execution. HCLTech helped the organization transform the support landscape into a standardized, scalable application support and maintenance model that improved responsiveness, strengthened operational control and created the capacity needed for internal teams to stay focused on migration priorities.

The Challenge

The operational pressure did not arise from a single deficiency, but rather from the cumulative impact of cost constraints, environmental complexity and timing considerations. The client was required to stabilize a broad application landscape while a significant EHR migration simultaneously diverted the same internal subject-matter experts from day-to-day operational responsibilities.

A fully inhouse support model drove up cost and tied critical talent to steady-state operations without bandwidth for Epic migration activities
Manual workflows and slow reporting cycles limited operational visibility
Inconsistent service controls made it harder to govern a high-stakes healthcare environment
A large, integration-heavy application estate increased the risk and effort of support
Any service lapse had the potential to disrupt frontline care delivery

The Objective

The mandate was not simply to outsource support, but to redesign it. The client wanted an operating model that could lower delivery overhead, strengthen service discipline and create enough headroom for internal teams to concentrate on the strategic work of migration.

Create a more efficient and dependable ASM model for a broad application portfolio
Protect uninterrupted clinical and business operations through the transition period
Improve IT governance, compliance and overall service quality
Free experienced Cerner resources to focus on the Epic migration program

The Solution

HCLTech responded by building a global delivery model designed for resilience rather than patchwork continuity. The engagement combined low risk transition, domain-led governance, centralized operational oversight and targeted automation to create a steadier, faster and more scalable service backbone.

Deployed a domain-aligned ASM model across the client’s clinical and business applications
Established a centralized command center with integrated L1.5 to L3 coverage
Extended support across Cerner, eCW, Diagnostics, Pharmacy, Specialty, Revenue Cycle and HIM platforms
Introduced a clinician-focused L1.5 service desk to strengthen issue handling closer to care teams
Applied automation to incident workflows such as major incident management activation, self-heal and self-service for top drivers1
Automation was also implemented for specific business application areas such as pharmacy demand planning, automated census reconciliation between Cerner and Athena applications and remittance processing (OCR-led handling) with approximately 97% accuracy and turnaround of about 3 seconds per page
Enabled data modernization with Yellowbrick to Azure Data Fabric migration for strengthened post-Epic analytics
Created and migrated interfaces into Epic in preparation for Epic Go-live

The Impact

The results were visible not only in operating metrics, but in the organization’s ability to move forward with greater control. With support execution standardized and accelerated, the client gained a more responsive service environment without sacrificing continuity during a critical period of change.

Shifted monthly reporting from hours to real time, improving decision speed and service visibility
Increased ticket handling efficiency and reduced incidents by 17% within 6 months
90% reduction in false alerts reducing noise in support operations
Improved service quality and reduced time to resolution by 30% through automation and process optimization
Delivered an estimated 30% cost reduction through right-shoring and service optimization
Accelerated and strengthened migration readiness while preserving day-to-day operational stability

Conclusion

For healthcare organizations navigating platform change, support stability is not a background function. It is a prerequisite for transformation. By redesigning application support around a scalable, automation-led and clinician-aware operating model, HCLTech helped this pediatric health system reduce operational friction, improve visibility and preserve focus on strategic Cerner-to-Epic migration priorities. The result was a stronger support foundation for today and a more prepared organization for what comes next.